2025 Best Colleges for Sports Management

February 27, 2025

best colleges for sports management

For teenage sports fans, it鈥檚 hard to imagine a more exciting major than sports management, a relatively new field that has grown in popularity in recent years. As part of a bachelor鈥檚 degree in sports management, students will take courses in business and finance along with more athletics-centered classes in sports psychology, sports law, and sports media. Many grads go on to work in a variety of capacities for professional and collegiate sports teams while others work in parks and recreation, youth sports coordination, or in sports and health club management. Some sports management programs are offered through highly-selective institutions like Rice or the University of Michigan, but the vast majority of schools with stellar sports management degrees accept more students than they reject. 国产第一福利影院草草鈥 list of the Best Colleges for Sports Management can get you pointed in the right direction toward the sports-related career of your dreams.

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Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for Sports Management.

Best Colleges for Sports Management

Here鈥檚 a quick preview of the top ten sports management colleges that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found for these and many other Sports Management programs when you scroll below.

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All of the schools profiled below have stellar reputations in the area of sports management and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the Best Sports Management Colleges, 国产第一福利影院草草 will provide you with鈥攚hen available鈥攖he university鈥檚:

  • Enrollment
  • Cost of Attendance
  • Acceptance Rate
  • 惭别诲颈补苍听
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  • Retention Rate
  • Graduation Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college鈥檚:

  • Academic Highlights 鈥 Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
  • Professional Outcomes 鈥 Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.

After reviewing our list of best sports management colleges (below), you may also be interested in our rankings for other business-related fields:

#1 Best College for Sports Management
University of Michigan

University of Michigan

  • Ann Arbor, MI

Academic Highlights: There are 280+ undergraduate degree programs across fourteen schools and colleges. Michigan sports a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 18% of classes contain 50 or more students, but a solid 53% of classes offer a more intimate experience with fewer than 20 students. The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program draws in 1,300 participants each year who partner with 800+ research mentors. For students in all academic programs at Michigan, study abroad opportunities are taken advantage of at high rates. In fact, the university is second in the nation in the number of students it sends to study in foreign lands.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school. The median salary across all majors is approximately 70k. Top employers include PwC, EY, JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, Citi, Bank of America, and Capital One.聽 Within six months, 93% of engineering grads are employed (average salary of $99k) or in grad school. General Motors, Ford, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft employ the greatest number of alumni.

  • Enrollment: 33,730
  • Cost of Attendance: $34,782 (In-State); $75,626 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1470
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 18%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#2 Best College for Sports Management
Rice University

Rice University

  • Houston, TX

Academic Highlights: Boasting a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1, Rice offers a spectacularly intimate learning experience. Class sizes are ideally small with 66% containing fewer than 20 students and a median class size of only fifteen. Undergraduate research opportunities abound with approximately 70% of graduates participating in academic research during their four years. Those experiences are open to freshmen through the Century Scholars Program and to all underclassmen through the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program. Study abroad options are available in over fifty countries, including collaborative programs with some of the top schools in the world including The London School of Economics, Oxford, and Cambridge.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 88% of recent Rice grads have found careers or a graduate school home. Companies that employ many recent grads include Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, Google, and Accenture. Over four hundred alumni work at Baylor College of Medicine, and over 200 work at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Across all majors, the average starting salary is $89k. Texas is among the most common destinations for recent grads, but many also flock to San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Chicago.

  • Enrollment: 4,574
  • Cost of Attendance: $78,278
  • Median SAT: 1550
  • Median SAT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 8%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%

#3 Best College for Sports Management
The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin

  • Austin, TX

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 170 majors. Sn encouraging 36% of course sections enroll nineteen or fewer students. Opportunities for undergraduate research vary by school, and many student must compete for slots in programs such as Summer聽Research Scholars or use the Eureka database to find individual professors offering research assistantships. A robust study abroad program boasts 400 offerings in 100+ foreign countries; 4,600+ students participate each year, the third-largest number in the country.

Professional Outcomes:聽 Over 1000 alumni work in the offices of Dell, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Deloitte; IBM, Meta, Oracle, and AMD employ over 500 each. Graduates early in their careers earn a median salary of $77,400, with median mid-career pay reaching $141,100. Roughly one-quarter of University of Texas at Austin undergraduates go on to pursue advanced degrees after completing their bachelor鈥檚. Many pursue advanced study at UT Austin itself, which offers more than one hundred graduate programs. Many alumni stay in Texas after graduation, settling in Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

  • Enrollment: 42,444
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,572 (In-State); $62,672 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 29%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#4 Best College for Sports Management
University of Miami

University of Miami

  • Coral Gables, FL

Academic Highlights: Over 100 undergrad programs are offered across nine schools, A noteworthy 92% of graduates report being satisfied with their education while 82% were satisfied with their major. Fifty-two percent of all course sections contain fewer than 20 students, and only 7% of sections sport enrollments of more than 50 undergrads. Study abroad opportunities are vast and include university-run programs in sixteen locations; roughly 40% of undergrads participate each year. Undergraduate research posts are available, with many facilitated by the Office of Research and Community Outreach.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 99% of the Class of 2023 had positive outcomes, with 62% employed full-time and 36% in graduate school. Companies employing 2023 grads included Citi, Bank of America, Jackson Memorial Hospital, JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, and Goldman Sachs. Across all majors, the median starting salary was an impressive $62k. 100+ Canes also can be found in the offices of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. The most frequently attended graduate school is typically Miami itself.

  • Enrollment: 12,883
  • Cost of Attendance: $88,440
  • Median SAT: 1400
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 19%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#5 Best College for Sports Management
University of Florida

University of Florida

  • Gainesville, FL

Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. UF impressively offers 50% of sections with an enrollment of fewer than 20 students. The Center for Undergraduate Research offers a University Research Scholars program as well as summer opportunities, hosts its own Undergraduate Research Symposium, and publishes its own UF Journal of Undergraduate Research. Forty percent of all undergrads have such an experience. The school has connections to 1,100 study abroad programs that are taken advantage of by more than 2,900 undergrads each year.

Professional Outcomes: The University of Florida demonstrates exceptional career preparation, with 83% of the Class of 2024 securing employment by graduation day. Gator alumni have established a strong presence at leading tech giants, with 200+ graduates currently working at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, and Oracle. The class achieved an impressive average starting salary of $68,000. For those continuing their education, popular graduate destinations include the University of South Florida, Nova Southeastern University, and Georgia Tech, showcasing UF’s strong pipeline to both immediate employment and advanced academic opportunities.

  • Enrollment: 34,924
  • Cost of Attendance: $22,601 (In-State); $44,879 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1390
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 24%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

#6 Best College for Sports Management
University of Georgia

University of Georgia

  • Athens, GA

Academic Highlights: UGA boasts seventeen distinct colleges and schools that offer 125+ majors. 49% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students compared with 12% of sections that enroll 50 or more. No matter your major, UGA encourages you to conduct research with a member of the school鈥檚 faculty. The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) awards grants to 500 students per year, and in 2024, a robust 620+ students presented at the CURO Symposium. Meanwhile, the Office of Global Engagement helps 3,000 students annually find which of the 100+ study abroad programs (many of which are led by UGA faculty) is right for them

Professional Outcomes: 95% of the Class of 2023 was employed or continuing their education six months after graduation. Popular employers include Accenture, the CDC, Deloitte, KPMG, Lockheed Martin, PwC, and Bank of America. Salaries vary between colleges; however, the median hovers around 60k. In 2023, 23% of graduates enrolled directly into a graduate/professional degree program, with the most commonly attended schools including Duke, Emory, Georgetown, UNC Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt.

  • Enrollment: 31,514
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,106 (In-State); $47,146 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1270
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 37%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

#7 Best College for Sports Management
Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University

  • Dallas, TX

Academic Highlights: In total, SMU offers 120+ majors and 85 minors. Thanks in part to an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, 55% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. Opportunities for personal connection and guidance extend beyond the聽classroom as 1,000 current SMU students have participated in undergraduate research or apprenticeships. The 150 study abroad programs in 50 countries attract about one-quarter of Mustangs at some point during their four years of study.

Professional Highlights: On graduation day, over 88% of recent grads already had their first jobs or graduate school destinations in hand. Major corporations employing the greatest number of Mustangs are Lockheed Martin, JP Morgan Chase, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte, Raytheon, Amazon, AT&T, and Goldman Sachs. In 2023, the average starting salary was $90k across all majors ($99k for Cox School of Business grads). Ten percent of seniors elected to immediately pursue an advanced degree, matriculating at prestigious institutions such as the University of Notre Dame, NYU, Vanderbilt, Columbia, and Boston University.

  • Enrollment: 7,115
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,090
  • Median SAT: 1410
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 61%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#8 Best College for Sports Management
Florida State University

Florida State University

  • Tallahassee, FL

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty is a 17:1, which translates into somewhat larger class sizes. Ten percent of sections contain more than fifty students, and 4% have more than 100. However, that is balanced by the 66% of sections that contain fewer than twenty students. Undergraduate research is taken advantage of by one-quarter of students, and the school plans to greatly expand such offerings in the coming years. An abundance of study abroad choices include special summer programs in Panama, Florence, London, and Valencia, Spain. FSU has 60 academic programs available in 20 locations throughout the world; 2,500+ students per year participate.

Professional Outcomes: Eighty-three percent of job-seeking Seminole grads receive at least one offer of employment within three months of graduation. Thirty percent of seniors found employment through Career Center services at FSU. Employers hiring the greatest number of FSU alumni include Apple, Northrop Grumman, EY, General Motors, and Deloitte. Roughly one-third of recent Florida State grads elected to immediately pursue admission into an advanced degree program; 84% of those who apply receive at least one acceptance.聽Geographically, the greatest number of alumni remain in Florida but large numbers also relocate to Massachusetts, Georgia, Texas, New York, and California.

  • Enrollment: 32,217
  • Cost of Attendance: $25,952 (In-State); $39,082 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1310
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 25%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#9 Best College for Sports Management
Texas A&M University 鈥 College Station

Texas A&M University 鈥 College Station

  • College Station, TX

Academic Highlights: With sixteen schools and colleges and 140+ undergraduate degree programs, Texas A&M is a massive operation. Class sizes trend large, but 25% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students and personal connections with professors are entirely possible, particularly through the research-oriented LAUNCH program. A&M excels in facilitating study abroad experiences, sending over 5,600 students to 110+ countries in a typical year, the most of any public university in the United States.

Professional Outcomes: On graduation day, 79% of students had already received at least one job offer or were heading to graduate/professional school. Many Aggies go on to work at major oil, tech, and consulting firms; Amazon, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Apple, Halliburton, and Google each employ more than 500 alumni. Starting salaries were strong鈥攐n average grads netted around $65k. The vast majority of graduates remain in Texas with Houston, Dallas, College Station, Austin, and San Antonio top in popularity.

  • Enrollment: 59,933
  • Cost of Attendance: $33,507 (In-State); $60,736 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 63%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#10 Best College for Sports Management
North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University

  • Raleigh, NC

Academic Highlights: NC State offers more than 100 majors and 120 minors. Thanks to a reasonable 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, you won鈥檛 exclusively have classes in enormous lecture halls. Rather, NC State offers its undergraduates a mix of experiences with 63% of sections enrolling 29 or fewer students and 18% enrolling 50 or more. The Office of Undergraduate Research works diligently to connect star students to faculty research projects, which leads to nearly 500 student presentations at the spring poster sessions alone. In 2024, 28 students received invitations to present at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

Professional Outcomes: Forty-four percent of students graduating in 2023 had already accepted full-time jobs before exiting; 30% were heading to graduate/professional school. Members of that class reported an average starting salary of $65,589 (with a slightly higher median). Including all graduating years, the companies employing the largest number of alumni are Cisco, SAS, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Lenovo, Apple, Meta, and NVIDIA. Many recent grads also work for the university itself.

  • Enrollment: 27,323
  • Cost of Attendance: $26,604 (In-State); $49,476 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1380
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 40%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#11 Best College for Sports Management
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Champaign-Urbana, IL

Academic Highlights: Eight of UIUC’s fifteen schools cater to undergraduate students. Illinois鈥 student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1 is high even for a public institution, but the school still manages to keep 39% of sections capped at 19 students. Further, 40% of undergraduates participate in research; over 800 students each year present at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Unique opportunities for experiential learning abound at Research Park, an on-campus technology hub and business incubator that hosts more than 120 major corporations and 800 student interns.

Professional Outcomes: 91% of recent UIUC grads landed at their next destination within six months of graduation, with 35% matriculating directly into an advanced degree program. 56% were employed full-time. Corporations landing the most recent Illinois grads were Amazon, Deloitte, Epic, KPMG, and PwC. The average salary across all majors was an extremely solid $76,000. Two-thirds of graduates remained in the Land of Lincoln; California and New York commandeer the next greatest percentages of migrating alumni.

  • Enrollment: 35,564
  • Cost of Attendance: $33,642 (In-State); $52,139 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1410
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 44%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#12 Best College for Sports Management
The Ohio State University 鈥 Columbus

The Ohio State University 鈥 Columbus

  • Columbus, OH

Academic Highlights: There are 250+ undergraduate majors and 18 schools and colleges housed within OSU. A 17-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to fairly large classes as only 40% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, so expect a fair number of courses in a large lecture hall setting. Still, aggressive students can find opportunities to work closely with faculty. The Office of Undergraduate Research & Inquiry helps approximately 600 students per year participate in undergraduate research forums. All told, approximately 20% of students gain research experience. Last year, nearly 1,800 undergraduates elected to study abroad in one of 350+ short- and long-term programs spread across 70 countries; OSU has the third-highest study abroad enrollment numbers in the Big 10.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 64% of Class of 2023 graduates entered the world of employment while 14% were already accepted into graduate or professional school.聽 Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation鈥檚 leading companies. More than 2,000 alumni work for JPMorgan Chase, and more than 500 work for Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU鈥檚 own programs.

  • Enrollment: 45,728
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,231 (In-State); $56,737 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1400
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 51%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#13 Best College for Sports Management
Syracuse University

Syracuse University

  • Syracuse, NY

Academic Highlights: Despite a high number of graduate students also studying at SU, class sizes are kept reasonably low; 61% contain 20 students or fewer. The Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Engagement (The SOURCE) supports student participation in faculty-guided research via a number of short- and long-term opportunities, many of which are funded. As a result, 250 students engaged in research last summer alone. The university鈥檚 office of study abroad programs arranges for 46% of undergrads to spend a semester in a foreign land.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after exiting the Carrier Dome for the final time in 2023, 63% of Orangemen and women found employment (93% related to their career goals) and 26% continued to graduate school. The companies employing the most 鈥楥use grads include major companies like ESPN, Bloomberg, and Creative Artists Agency as well as big-name corporations like GE, KPMG, EY, Lockheed Martin, and Morgan Stanley. The average starting salary for 2023 grads was a solid $63k.

  • Enrollment: 15,739
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,147
  • Median SAT: 1340
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 42%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 81%

#14 Best College for Sports Management
Clemson University

Clemson University

  • Clemson, SC

Academic Highlights: Class sizes are mixed, and many sections are smaller than you would expect for such a large university where the student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1. Fourteen percent of classes have single-digit enrollments, and 57% contain fewer than 30 students; 17% of courses are larger, playing host to fifty or more undergraduates. More than half of Clemson students participate in some type of undergraduate research, a strong percentage given the size of the school. Each year over 1,400 students elect to study abroad in one of Clemson鈥檚 own programs or one offered by a third party.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 93% of 2023 grads had already entered the working world or were pursuing a graduate degree. The top employers of newly-minted diploma holders include Prisma Health, Boeing, Bank of America, and Epic Systems. Computing and Applied Sciences reported a median starting salary of $75,000. College of Business graduates enjoyed median earnings of $61,000. Of the 18% of recent graduates directly entering grad school, the largest number retained their Tiger stripes by continuing their studies at Clemson.

  • Enrollment: 22,875
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,338 (in-state); $59,282 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1320
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 38%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#15 Best College for Sports Management
University of Massachusetts Amherst

University of Massachusetts Amherst

  • Amherst, MA

Academic Highlights: Over 100 majors are offered across eight undergraduate colleges. You will encounter a number of smaller sections during your time at UMass as 47% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students; a stunning 96% of graduates report being satisfied with their academic experience. Further, a substantial and encouraging 30% report engaging in some type of undergraduate research. For a large university, UMass also enjoys fairly wide participation in its study abroad program. Every year, 1,200 students spend a semester in one of 56 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 62% of newly minted 2023 grads were employed full-time and 24% were attending graduate school part-time. Companies presently employing 100+ Minutemen and Minutewomen include Fidelity, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Meta, and Salesforce. Boston is the most popular landing spot for graduates. Boston is the most popular landing spot for graduates; it鈥檚 followed by Springfield, Massachusetts, and New York City.

  • Enrollment: 23,936
  • Cost of Attendance: $34,666 (In-State); $56,602 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1390
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 58%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#16 Best College for Sports Management
Indiana University

Indiana University

  • Bloomington, IL

Academic Highlights: IU offers 200+ majors The university鈥檚 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio is strong for a school of Indiana鈥檚 size, and it does make an effort to keep undergraduate classes on the small side. While there are a number of introductory courses that transpire in giant lecture halls, 35% of all sections contain no more than 19 students. Experiential learning opportunities are available to those who seize them; over one-quarter of arts and sciences students completed research with a faculty member. On the study abroad front, roughly the same percentage of A&S graduates spent a semester in a foreign country. In total, the school offers 380 programs in 70 countries and 20 languages.

Professional Outcomes: Class of 2023 grads reached their next employment or graduate school destination at a 92% rate within six months of receiving their degrees. The median starting salary for IU grads ranged between $54,000 and $60,000. Among the largest employers of Hoosier alumni are local pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, EY, Amazon, PwC, Salesforce, Deloitte, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Accenture, and Google. Indianapolis, Chicago, Bloomington, and New York City are the locales where you can find the greatest concentration of Indiana graduates.

  • Enrollment: 36,833
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,900 (In-State); $57,592 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1280
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 80%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 81%

#17 Best College for Sports Management
University of Minnesota鈥揟win Cities

University of Minnesota鈥揟win Cities

  • Minneapolis, MN

Academic Highlights: There are 150 majors available across eight freshman-admitting undergraduate colleges. A 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio is deployed effectively so that 65% of sections enroll 29 or fewer students. No matter your field of study, you can utilize UM鈥檚 well-maintained database of upcoming faculty research projects as a way to connect directly with the professor of your choice; more than 2,000 undergraduates participate in a research or creative project every year. An outstanding 30% of UMTC students study abroad during their academic career with the most popular destinations being Spain, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

Professional Outcomes: Over 1000 alumni work at Target, Medtronic, 3M, and U.S. Bank; Amazon, Google, Cargill, and Microsoft employ 500+ UMN graduates each. The average starting salary across all majors is approximately 60k and recent employers include Boeing, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Abbott, IBM, EcoLab, Boston Scientific, Wells Fargo, Google, Apple, and Microsoft and Epic. With 130 graduate programs, the University of Minnesota retains many of its graduates as they pursue their next degrees.

  • Enrollment: 39,556
  • Cost of Attendance: $32,866 (In-State); $52,780 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1400
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 77%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#18 Best College for Sports Management
University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina

  • Columbia, SC

Academic Highlights: UofSC is a massive enterprise, with 15 colleges/schools within the larger university. Even so, 70% of all sections contain 29 or fewer students聽 The South Carolina Honors College is extremely hard to get into and is one of the finest in the entire country. The Office of Undergraduate Research will help ambitious students locate a mentor professor in their discipline, pursue funding sources, and compete for school-based undergraduate research awards; roughly one-third of students work with a faculty member on research. Study abroad opportunities are also there for all who seek them; close to 2,000 students study abroad in 65+ countries each year.

Professional Outcomes: More than 1000 UofSC alumni work at Prisma Health; hundreds are employed at Wells Fargo, Amazon, and Microsoft. Within the School of Business, the average salary was $93k and recent employers include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, PwC, EY, and Deloitte. College of Arts and Sciences graduates secured employment at Greenville Health Systems, BlueCross BlueShield SC, the State of South Carolina, and Amazon, earning an average salary of $86,046.

  • Enrollment: 28,470
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,977 (In-State); $54,223 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1270
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 61%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 78%

#19 Best College for Sports Management
University of Iowa

University of Iowa

  • Iowa City, IA

Academic Highlights: 200+ undergraduate majors, minors, and certificate programs are available across eight colleges. The 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio is not suggestive of an intimate learning environment, yet the University of Iowa still manages to keep over half of its undergraduate sections at an enrollment of 19 or fewer students. Just 13% of sections enroll 50 or more undergrads. Increasing the number of undergraduate research opportunities available is part of the university鈥檚 strategic plan. At present, about one-third of UI undergrads conduct or assist research. In a given year, more than 1,000 University of Iowa students study abroad.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of recent grads found their first job or advanced degree program within six months of receiving their diploma. Companies that employ hundreds of alumni include John Deere, Collins Aerospace, Amazon, Deloitte, AbbVie, Microsoft, and Google. Five years after graduating, alumni report a salary increase of 55% and 95% are satisfied with their job. The median salary for recent grads was $50,000. 21% went directly into graduate school; 75% remained at the University of Iowa.

  • Enrollment: 22,130
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,596 (In-State); $50,559 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 25
  • Acceptance Rate: 85%
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 73%

#20 Best College for Sports Management
Rutgers University 鈥 New Brunswick

Rutgers University 鈥 New Brunswick

  • New Brunswick, NJ

Academic Highlights: Rutgers is divided into 19 schools and colleges, collectively offering 120+ undergraduate majors. Forty percent of class sections have an enrollment of nineteen or fewer students compared to only 19% of sections that contain more than 50 undergrads. The Aresty Research Center facilitates several programs that match 300+ undergraduates per year with faculty members conducting research in an area of interest. An annual Undergraduate Research Symposium鈥攐ne of the largest in the country鈥攈as showcased thousands of student projects in its 20 years of existence.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduation, 89% of Class of 2023 grads had secured a first job or were heading to an advanced degree program. 71% headed directly to the world of employment, where the companies hiring the largest number of grads included RWJBarnabas Health, Amazon, and Lockheed Martin. Investment banks like JP Morgan Chase employ hundreds of alumni, as do companies like Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and CVS Pharmacy. The median starting salary across all majors was $70,000.

  • Enrollment: 36,588
  • Cost of Attendance: $37,717 (In-State); $56,479 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1380
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 65%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Sports Management to be useful and informative as you continue your college search process. We also invite you to check out some of our other resources and tools including: